Balance
by Hypnomagica
Summary: Aburame Shino, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzamaki Naruto become inseperable at an early age. Needless to say this has many effects on the outcomes of each one of their lives. AU in a lot of small and big ways. All three will be strong, none will be super. NP


Disclaimer: I do not own intellectual authority over any character within this fanfiction besides those who I myself create. This is but a humble fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not sue me, I am quite poor.

Summary: This is a slightly divergent universe fic, Shino, Naruto, and Sasuke become close friends from a very young age. My take on the effect this might have on the outcome of all of their lives. This is going to be a full-length epic and will take the trio into their early twenties. Expect a few time skips and the characters to grow into rather different people than they do in cannon. This is not mean to be OOC just the way I feel they would influence each other if they became close at such an early developmental stage. They will still be fundamentally the same people. There are no set pairings and before you ask, no I do not intend for this to be a yaoi fic. That said, it is going to be an action-packed, roller-coaster, whirlwind, adventure with epic fight scenes, humor, death, teenage angst, romance, and snarky animals. So please feel free to stick around for the ride.

Balance

Prologue

Uzamaki Naruto a six year old boy with golden blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean is deep was in a very optimistic mood. Forgetting his naturally optimistic disposition as well as the cloudless, blue sky and generally cheerful weather, on this day, young Naruto perceived a beautiful glow to his home town, the shinobi village known as Konoha, for a reason that had nothing to do with the weather. On that particular day the boy would begin his first day of education at the village's official ninja academy. It had taken no small amount of cajoling to convince his grandfather figure, the Sandaime (and current) Hokage, the leader of the village, to allow him to attend the academy at age six rather than age seven as many children did.

It had taken his entire life's saving to buy the old man a pouch of some of the tobacco stuff that his secretary was always complaining about him smoking from the pipe which seemed to be permanently glued to his hand. It had been the wrong brand and flavor but of course Naruto had not known that and the Hokage could not manage to resist the sheer adorableness of the boy's earnest gesture.

With the sun just beginning to crest over the dawn sky and the inhabitants of Konohagakure going about their morning routines, Uzamaki Naruto headed out for the ninja academy, dreams of fame and glory filling his imagination.

"_Yosh! Time to begin my training to become the ultimate ninja! I'm gonna be Hokage before ya know it!"_

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"Shi-chan! You'd better hurry or else you'll be late for your first day at the academy!"

Aburame Shino hurriedly finished donning his socks before rushing out of his room and down the stairs towards his mother's voice and the smell of breakfast cooking from the kitchen.

"I'm coming, Ka-sama!" The boy yelled as he rushed down the stairs and to the table where his breakfast waited for him still steaming lightly, and hopped on his chair gingerly. Shino was on the taller side for his age, with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes with skin on the pale side, much like the pretty woman with similarly colored hair which fell in gentle curls down her back and dark green eyes that the child called "Ka-sama".

"Shi-chan you'd better eat that quickly, we have to head out for the academy in five minutes." His mother spoke in a slightly admonishing tone but allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she cleaned the dishes she had used in preparing her son's breakfast.

"Hoo, 'a-ama." They boy tried to reply through a mouth full of brown rice and eggs.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Shi-chan."

The young boy gave a small hum of affirmation without ceasing to consume his meal at a practiced pace, taking care not to stuff his mouth lest his mother scold him for it. Upon finishing the boy wiped his mouth and hands with the napkin provided and allowed his mother to take the plate while he slipped off of the chair and carefully pushed it back into the table. As his mother cleaned his dishes Shino made for the small coat closet in order to retrieve a jacket that his parents had gotten him as a birthday present that he was already quite fond of/.

He took his mother's hand as they exited the house. While they set out for the academy only one thought was on the boy's mind.

"_I hope I can make a friend today."\_

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Uchiha Sasuke stood just outside the door of his house as he waited for his father to finish whatever business he was attending to inside. He had been waiting to begin at the academy since before he could remember. Visions of surpassing his brother and winning his father's favor had filled his dreams for years.

Uchiha Fugaku was more than just slightly annoyed at having been strong-armed by his own son into attending his youngest son's entrance ceremony. It was not that he did not feel concern for Sasuke but he was a man who had always prided himself on having a good sense of priority. While such a thing seemed like a big thing to both of his sons Fugaku knew that it was Itachi's mission which would play a much grander role for the good of the clan.

Nevertheless, Itachi, his eldest son, was nothing if not extremely competent as a shinobi and Fugaku had no doubts that he would perform splendidly on the mission which would solidify for him a place within Konoha's ANBU, the elite task force under the direct and sole command of the Hokage.

Uchiha Fugaku was a man of average height and build with a strong but rather nondescript face that showed him to be just a few years past his prime with a deep tan that hinted at a lifetime of work in the sun. To look at him one might never guess that this man was the head of the most powerful bloodline clan in Konohagakure and quite possibly the world.

The Sharingan was the blood line limit possessed by nearly all members of the Uchiha clan by age fourteen which allowed for perception of chakra, the energy which existed within all living creatures and was utilized by all shinobi in order to perform their ninjutsu. It also had the ability to place a person under strong genjutsu as well as allowing for inhuman perception of movement. This allowed for a skilled wielder of the blood line to predict the movements of an opponent nearly before they even began to be made, making the Sharingan perhaps the most battle-oriented of all blood line limits.

As the clan head of all Uchiha and leader of the Konoha Police Force, an organization almost exclusively populated by accomplished shinobi of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku was arguably the most powerful member of the extremely powerful clan. Just at the moment, this figure of incredible importance within the shinobi world was headed out to take his youngest son to his first day of school.

Sasuke jumped around from foot to foot excitedly as his father finally crossed the threshold of their house and fell in step behind him, as they made their way towards the Academy one single ambition rang in his mind.

"_Watch me, father. I'll definitely surpass Big Brother!"_

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Naruto had arrived early for the ceremony judging from the scarcity of people in attendance. For a few moments the young blond wondered if he had perhaps gone to the wrong place or gotten the days mixed up. Looking around he spotted an elderly man, slightly stooped with age with tan skin and deep wrinkles sporting a sharply triangular white beard that he instantly recognized as the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Jiji!" The boy exclaimed happily, waving both arms towards the man who upon recognizing the voice allowed an indulgent smile to grace his lips before kneeling down on one knee to greet the boy.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." The old man greeted him happily while rubbing the blond mane of hair wearing the expression of a content grandfather. "It's good that you're so energetic my boy but you know the ceremony won't start for another hour."

"That's fine, jiji!" Naruto's lungs were as impressive as any the Hokage had ever come across and Hiruzen found himself wincing slightly at the volume and pitch of the voice so close to his ear.

"Oh?" He asked teasingly. "I guess you were just excited to be in the presence of someone as great as the legendary God of Shinobi, hmm?"

"It's not that!" The boy protested with a blush, pulling away from the man slightly. "I'm just accited to start bein' a ninja! Just wait, I'll be stronger than you in no time, jiji!" Naruto's face shone with all the naïve confidence of a boy of his age, the innocent belief that he could truly accomplish anything shone clearly through those bright blue orbs.

"Hahahaha! Is that so? Well you're a few years from putting me out of a job, I hope. I'm rather fond of this hat so you'll have to work very hard if you want me to give it up." He gestured loosely to the large, three-sided hat he wore to match his black and white Kage robes. Both the robe and the hat were emblazoned with the symbol for "Fire", the hat was emblazoned on the white portion of the hat which took up one corner up to the pointed tip with red calligraphy. Whereas the robes had an ankle-length red tunic with a white sash across his waist covered by a long over-coat which draped in loose folds along his neck line down to the mid-chest with a large red "Fire" sign emblazoned on the back.

"Hai!" Naruto shouted dutifully, taking on what he apparently considered to be a strong stance, though with his feet together and his chest puffed out Sarutobi could not help but think that the boy looked more like a baby chick just trying to figure out how to stand up.

"I'll work super hard and become a Hokage way stronger than Jiji…or even the Yondaime!"

Surtobi Hiruzen chuckled lightly at his mental image and the boy's antics but merely rubbed the boy's hair again fondly.

"I'm sure you will, Naruto-kun." At the back of his mind was an add-on he knew could not be vocalized. Not yet.

"_It's in your blood after all."_

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"Ah, this sure brings back memories! Shi-chan, did you know that your father and I first met at this academy? Of course we didn't really start dating until quite some time afterwards. Still, my years at the academy were some of the best years I've had….not including the time since I married your father and had you of course, Shi-chan!"

Shino merely continued to walk alongside his mother, used to her habit of rambling on tangent after tangent whenever they were together for longer periods of time. His father had told him that when someone was speaking for a long period of time it was polite to listen intently and nod in affirmation whenever they paused. Experience had taught him that trying to actually contribute to the confirmation was an exercise in futility as she would immediately respond to anything he said with a lengthy explanation of some sort which would inevitably derail to an entirely unrelated topic and she would forget he had even said anything.

Today though, Shino was having a difficult time paying attention to his mother. His mind was filled with different scenarios in which he became friends with everyone all at once and they all went outside and played games together that he had seen other kids playing when out with his mother. Or perhaps he would meet another boy just like him and they would play with bugs together and work on their ninjuitsu. These vague machinations went on to become increasingly far-fetched, at one point he even fancied himself somehow saving the entire academy from a giant fire breathing dung beetle and being hoisted in the air by a crowd of his peers the way he had seen in some of his comic books.

Finally, a long, three story building with the Fire emblem looming over the open front gate came into view. Shino found himself wondering if it was the academy when his mother happily answered the unasked question for him.

"Here we are, Shi-chan. It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from this place. What wonderful memories…" Her voice was soft with nostalgia and the boy found the excitement building within him to grow even more. His mother had been very happy here. Surely that meant that he would be too! He would definitely make a new friend!

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"This must be Sasuke! Man, he sure takes from his mother, just like Itachi eh, Fugaku-san?"

Sasuke could not help but scowl slightly at the remark from the large man with the long brown hair that hung down his broad back in a loose pony-tail. He was apparently an old teammate of his father's and seemed nice enough but being compared to both his older brother and his mother in the same sentence rubbed him in just the wrong way.

For his part, Fugaku laughed lightly at the comment, noting that both of the boys had "inherited their mother's looks, thank the gods." Both men had a laugh at that and Sasuke found himself smiling as well, despite himself.

Indeed, the boy did look to be a rather stark contrast from his father. While his father was tan with a solid build and stern but unremarkable features, Sasuke had fair skin with raven colored hair and deep, onyx colored eyes and sharp, refined facial features. All features that he shared with his elder brother Itachi as well as his mother Mikoto with neither brother having inherited much from their father at all in terms of physical features.

Sasuke stood by his father's side as other men and women approached them to greet Fugaku and discuss old times as well as introduce their children to the young Uchiha. The boy found himself rather liking all of the attention that he was getting but all the children he was introduced to seemed to either look at him with a strange reverence or glare at him as if he had insulted them somehow.

Not knowing how to respond how having had much interaction with other children his age he remained silent and put on a face of stoic seriousness to mask how uncomfortable he was with the situation.

After what felt like an eternity the crowd began to quiet as the attention of all was drawn to the old man that Sasuke recognized as the Sandaime Hokage. He stood on a small wooden podium with his hands raised calling for quiet and was surrounded by several men and women wearing the green vest. The majority of them wore what Sasuke recognized as being chuunin from the vests their vests while one tallish man with neck-length green hair wore the vest of a jounin.

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"Good morning to all of you!" The venerable Hokage began in a cheerful voice that easily managed to carry to the ears of all in attendance. "To those of you who will begin their training in the shinobi arts today I wish you the very best of luck.

During the rest of your shinobi career you will be faced with many trials which may seem impossible to overcome. But always remember that it is the ability to make the impossible possible and effect change on the unchangeable which makes as ninjas of Konohagakure!

Graduating from this academy will require hard work and dedication. To some of you some things will come easier than it will to others but you must never forget that what truly makes a shinobi is not how many techniques one has mastered. Nor is it how far or accurately one can through a kunai.

The true strength and work of shinobi of Konoha is in the indomitable will possessed by all who wear the leaf insignia upon their forehead protector passed on from each generation to the next. The Will of Fire!

Whatever your level of success in this academy, always remember that each of you are forever members of Konohagakure and I am very proud of every last one of you. May you all have great success in your shinobi careers!"

With his speech over, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped down the podium and disappeared in a wave of leaves, much to the shock and awe of many of the children present.

As the tall jounin in charge of the academy stepped up to the podium and began the process of organizing the class rosters and getting the children into their classes, three young boys joined the mill of shinobi hopefuls.

Each one of them had their own ambitions and dreams but none knew that on that day they would each meet the boys who would become their best friends and change their lives forever.

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Translations: (As though anyone actually needs these.)

Sandaime Hokage- The Third Fireshadow.

Chuunin- Journeyman level ninja

Jounin- Master level ninja

Konohagakure- The Village Hidden in the Leaves

Konoha- The Hidden Leaf

Well that's it for the prologue! Make sure to read and review! Let me know if you'd like to read more! The more reviews I get the more motivated this writer become to write. Just sayin'.

Take care, my lovelies!


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